Yes, we have exemptions for seniors, veterans, widow, widower, blind as well as tax deferrals. We also have a work program for seniors 65 and older. All applicants must qualify under the Department of Revenue guidelines.

The town must have a copy of the dealer’s bond or an alternative that will be accepted, such as a certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit equal to the bond amount, upon submission of the application for a new license or license renewal. Failure to provide these will result in the town denying the issuance of a current-year license.

Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 is the Town of Braintree’s official emergency alert and notification system. This system is used to send alerts to the public during emergencies. Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 is a free service that allows you to sign up online to receive customized alerts via text message, email, and voice message.

In addition to emergency alerts, you can also choose to receive customizable community notifications. These include notifications about severe weather, safety, health, utility disruptions, major traffic incidents, and more. This service is provided by the Town of Braintree at no cost to the public; however, message and data rates may apply.

When emergencies happen, be the first to know. The Town of Braintree uses Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 to send official, real-time alerts to the public with information about potentially life-saving actions they may need to take to keep themselves and their families safe. By signing up for Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 you are taking a large step toward improving your personal safety.

When an emergency occurs that meets the criteria for sending out an alert to the public, the Town of Braintree’s emergency dispatchers will gather the necessary information and push out an alert to the affected area. Alerts can be sent out city-wide to everyone who has opted-in to the system or to a specific area or neighborhood for more localized events.

While Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 is an excellent system, we cannot guarantee that you will receive notification in all cases. Disasters and emergencies are chaotic and unpredictable, and notification is dependent on external providers such as your wireless carrier or email delivery service outside the Town of Braintree.

The frequency for which you receive alerts depends on the addresses you provide and the types of alerts you select to receive as well as the frequency of actual emergencies. Emergency alerts will only be sent when there is an immediate threat to life and / or property. Community notifications will be sent when the criteria for sending an alert are met.

This system is not intended to bombard you with information. The City will only send you alerts about the information you select to receive. To change your alert settings, login to the Smart911 website and edit your preferences.

Personal information provided to Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 is private and only used to notify you for official Town of Braintree communications and to support the Town's emergency services.

Your information is not used for marketing purposes and will not be sold to telemarketers or data-mining organizations. A variety of "opt-in" mechanisms are available to ensure you are getting just the messages you want to receive, delivered via the devices and communications modes that you choose.

Physical & Computer Security

Braintree Alerts powered by Smart911 utilizes the highest standards in physical and computer security technologies and conducts regular audits to ensure all information is kept secure.

It is a Town department of an organized body of civilian trained volunteers that help the armed forces, police, and emergency services in the event of a national emergency, or a natural disaster for the protection of life and property in our community.

BEMA meets twice a week, every week to train and make sure the equipment that we have such as radio communications, lighting and generators are in working order at all times. “Trained Volunteer Ready at a Moment's Notice”.

Yes; the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), which is a program that educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist their family and others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event, when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

BEMA encourages CERT members to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in our community.

One carbon monoxide detector is required on each living level of the home, including “walk up attics” (those with a staircase, not pull down stairs).

The carbon monoxide detectors must be within 10 feet of a bedroom, but not located in a bedroom unless it is an additional detector. Carbon monoxide detectors are not to be placed within 10 feet of a carbon monoxide producing appliance, ( furnace, gas stove, etc.) and also is not to be placed within 10 feet of a garage, under or attached.

The fire department doesn’t recommend any specific brand, but does recommend that the carbon monoxide detector be battery operated.

The plug in type are recommended only if the detector has battery back-up in order to function if there is a loss of power. If using a plug in type detector with battery back-up, make sure that it is not plugged into an outlet that is controlled by a wall switch. Carbon monoxide detectors with out battery back-up are not compliant with the law.

Proper location of smoke detectors differs with home style. Smoke detectors should be placed on each living level.

For single family homes with a basement, the detector should be placed on the basement ceiling at the bottom of the stairs.

On the first floor the detector should be placed at the base of the stairway leading to the second floor. If there are any sleeping areas on the first floor, a detector shall be installed outside the bedrooms.

On the second floor a detector shall be installed outside the bedrooms.

A smoke detector is required for the attic only if the home has a fixed stairway, not a pull down stairway. If the home has a garage under or an attached garage, a smoke detector should be installed on the ceiling at the interior door that leads to the garage.

Detectors should always be mounted on the ceiling and not on walls.

More Information

House numbers are covered under law along with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. The house numbers must be at least 3 inches high, contrasting color to the house, clearly visible from the street, and permanently attached to the house.

The fire department does not recommend adhesive numbers, due to weather conditions adhesive numbers tend to fall off.

Outside Open Burning season begins on January 15 by permit only. Permits are available at Fire Headquarters between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Permit fee is $10 by check only payable to Town of Braintree. A complete list of rules will be given to permit holders upon receipt.

Burning is subject to weather and drought conditions* and is permitted by the department shift commander daily. Permit holders must call each day they wish to burn after 8:30 am: 781-843-3600, ext. 0.

*weather and drought conditions as well as other factors are governed by the State Department of Fire Services and subject to be changed at any time.

The Records Division is located in the front lobby of the Police Station at 282 Union Street. When you enter the front door the window to Records will be on your right. Records requests can also be made via mail or email. See the Police Contact List page for the email address to Records Division clerks or contact the Records Division at 781-794-8611 for further details.

For emergencies call 911. For non-emergency crime or suspicious activity that you'd like to report, call the Braintree Police Department at 781-794-8601 and you will be guided through the menu options.

If you are involved in a motor vehicle crash, and someone was injured or there was over $1,000 of damage to either a vehicle or property, you are required to file a Motor Vehicle Crash Report to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) with a copy to the police department in which the accident occurred. Accident reports must be filed within 5 days.

Residents of the Town of Braintree can apply for a firearm license from the Chief of Police. Firearm Licensing is handled by Officer John Twohig. You may contact him with any questions. Applications are available in the Records Division or online.

Yes, cell phone calls are received and handled by the Massachusetts State Police. State Police call handlers will determine your location and transfer your phone call directly to the appropriate police agency.

The Braintree Police Department is committed to making our roads safe. You may either call in the complaint to the Traffic Division at 781-794-8764 or email your inquiry to the Traffic Division. Email requests are checked by the Traffic Division Monday through Friday.

If you have a problem with noise from a neighbor, you may call the Braintree Police Department at 781-794-8601 or 781-794-8602 for a police officer to respond to the location of the noise. The responding officer has some discretion in how to deal with the noise complaint.

You can go to the Braintree Police Department and request information. You must be at least 18 years of age, present a valid form of identification and complete a Sex Offender Information Request Form. You will be provided with a dissemination sheet regarding Level 2 and Level 3 Sex Offenders. Level 1 offender information is not made available to the public and they are only required to register once a year via the mail to the Sex Offender Registry Board. The Braintree Police Department does have information on all Level 1 Sex Offenders that work or live in Braintree.

Transportation fee and Athletic fee letters are mailed out to current students and their families during the summer months prior to the start of school which outlines the fees. Questions and / or payments can be addressed at the Business Office in the Administration building at 781-794-8485.

Your child will have a monthly newsletter that will outline upcoming events for the month or you could go onto the Braintree Public Schools website at Braintree Schools and under schools you can link to your home school.

Brochures are mailed out at the start of the school year from the Director of Continuing Education. You can also access this information via our website at Braintree Schools and link onto Adult Education.

Requests to apply for Free and Reduced lunches are made directly through Megan Ahrenholz, Food Services Coordinator for the Braintree Public Schools. Please email Ms. Ahrenholz. The forms are also available on the school’s website.

You need to contact the school that you are assigned to based on your address. The secretary can assist you in getting the application packet out to you and answering any questions. If you do not know which school your child will attend, please call the administration offices at 781-794-8476.

You can contact the Transportation Department at 781-380-0728. The bus stop listing is located on our website. There are also alternate bus routes for snow purposes listed. The Braintree Forum publishes the bus stop listing 2 weeks prior to the start of school.

No, Massachusetts General Law requires a licensed plumber / gas fitter to obtain all required permits and perform all work described on such permit. However, there are certain exceptions to the requirement for a plumbing permit that homeowners may perform. A plumbing permit is not required for the repair of leaks in a faucet, valve or other working part of a plumbing fixture or the clearing of a clog in a pipe.

As with any waiver of this kind, should damage to your property occur as a result of improper wiring, recourse to pay for such damage could take far longer and be substantially more difficult for the homeowner. As such this department suggests that homeowners not sign this waiver.

Under the State Building Code (780 CMR), it is the responsibility of the contractor to obtain the building permit if the property is between a one to four family, owner-occupied structure. This does not prohibit a property owner from obtaining their own building permit and acting as their own contractor. It should be noted, however, that persons obtaining their own permit are not eligible for recourse due to poor workmanship, contract issues or the like under the State Home Improvement Contractor Program. Additionally, liability for the accidents involving persons working under the direction of a homeowner during construction could be the responsibility of the homeowner regardless of other existing insurance policies.

Yes, it is the law for work valued at over $1,000. The contract should be as explicit as possible in order to remove any doubt as to what the contractors responsibilities will be and whom will be responsible for what costs (i.e. permits, material) Please refer to the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety, Sample Contract (PDF).

Building permits are only required for fences over seven feet in height. Fences over seven feet in height, in addition to a building permit, require the approval of the Town’s Fence Viewer to ensure that the fence will not cause a dangerous or detrimental situation to abutting properties. The Town does not prescribe which side of the fence must face a neighbor, and fences may be placed up to the property line, although it is recommended that individuals maintain a minimum of a one foot offset from property lines so as to be able to maintain both sides of a fence without trespassing onto an abutting property. Additionally, if the boundary line is not known or not otherwise clearly defined, it is recommended that individuals engage the assistance of a Registered Land Surveyor to determine the location of such lot lines.

Matters involving disputes over property lines can only be handled by the County Land Court. A suggestion which is often made is to have your property surveyed by a Registered Land Surveyor, and if your concerns are confirmed, contact your neighbor and relay this information. If matters cannot be resolved through such dialogue you may consider legal action through a filing with the Norfolk County Land Court.

Beyond new construction or interior alterations or additions, a building permit is required for such projects including but not limited to roofing, siding, new or replacement windows and doors, decks, porches, pools, dormers, sheds, garages, walls, and changes in grade. A good rule to follow is that if you are unsure to contact the Building Division at 781-794-8070.

The fee set for the trash bill is based on the cost of providing curbside pickup and disposing it at the transfer station. As a Braintree resident, you have a choice of optioning out of curbside pickup. To do so, you will need to provide proof, such as a contract or paid bill, that your household trash is being picked up by a private contractor. If you come into our office our staff can assist you in completing the necessary paperwork.

The Department does not recommend Land Surveyors or Professional Engineers. However, you are welcome to look through our application files which contain contact information for these professionals. In addition, the Inspections Division maintains a list of Land Surveyors.

The Department Staff will review the Flood Insurance Rate Maps generated by FEMA and determine whether or not your property is within the floodplain. Based on your Floodplain designation and the proposed project the Department Staff will advise you as to what local permits from the Planning Board and Conservation Commission are required.

The Conservation Staff is available to make a site visit to determine the presence of jurisdictional wetland areas and advise you as to permitting requirements and processes. Generally work within 100 feet of a wetland and 200 feet of a perennial river will require Conservation Commission review. Staff is available to assist.

The Zoning Bylaw may be purchased for $20 at the Town’s Clerk office in Town Hall. In addition, you can visit the Planning Board where the Zoning Ordinance can be viewed or downloaded in PDF format by Article.

The Department charges a nominal fee for copying ($.20 a page). A full size plan sheet is currently $5 per copy. If a request for documentation requires staff time to research and compile, the charge will be the hourly rate of the administrative staff based on the number of hours required.

The Department keeps only plans approved by the Planning Board and Conservation Commission. If the property in question was part of an application submitted for review there may be a plan on file. Residents are urged to inquire to Planning and Community Development.

If you know of someone who may need help, and you are unsure what to do about it, please call the Outreach program at 781-848-1963 at the Department of Elder Affairs. Every situation is treated respectfully and remains confidential. We will attempt to contact the person in need and assist them with obtaining services that will help them remain safely in their own homes. We will contact appropriate agencies and resources on their behalf.

The Department of Elder Affairs has an equipment loan program. We accept donations of gently used or new medical equipment which we then loan out on an as needed basis. When someone doesn’t need the equipment anymore, we ask that it be cleaned and returned to us so someone else can benefit from it. We have a short loan information form to be filled out when the equipment is picked up.

Absolutely. That is what we are here for. Please call the Department of Elder Affairs at 781-848-1963 and ask for the Outreach program. We can work with you to help your parents. It is often tricky dealing with a family situation such as yours, but if the issues are approached with sensitivity, positive changes can be effected which will help both you and your parents.

Braintree has many options for seniors who sell their homes. The Braintree Housing Authority manages senior only and mixed family unit developments in town. Their telephone number is 781-848-1484 for more information. There is also the option of assisted living facilities. If one’s ability to care for themselves is declining, local nursing homes may be considered. For a more complete listing of housing options in the South Shore area you can call South Shore Elder Services Inc., at 781-848-3910. Ask for their Information and Referral department.

We ask our volunteers what hours, days, and times they are available and we work closely with them to accommodate their schedules. You can volunteer from one hour to 100 hours a month or year…it’s your choice! You could also possibly start new activities that would utilize your skills and knowledge. We are always open to new suggestions and ideas. Come check us out!

Typically, two times a year, with higher risk establishments, such as nursing homes, school cafeterias, daycare kitchen facilities, being conducted more often. Lower risk establishments, such as a package store are conducted once a year.

First, contact your health care provider. Second, contact the local health division and provide as much information as possible regarding the suspected illness to better assist the division with undertaking an investigation.

A completed application with applicable permit fee must be submitted to the Health Division, at which time a site inspection is scheduled. Prior to issuance of a permit to install a well, application documentation and site inspection findings are reviewed for compliance with regulations.

The Board of Health are residents of Braintree, who are appointed to a term of office and are given the legal authority to set policies and make regulations to protect the public and environmental health.

The employees of the Health Division are responsible for the daily operation of the Division.

The State Housing Code requires that the heating system be capable of maintaining the temperature daily at 68 degrees from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and 64 degrees from 11:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. during the heating season.

When handling ready-to-eat foods, such as a sandwich, cooked pizza, donuts, no bare hand contact is required. No bare hand contact can be accomplished with the use of utensils, waxed paper or single service gloves.

The Mayor acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the town government; therefore, the Mayor oversees the town's daily operations as well as other municipal departments. The Mayor also represents the Town of Braintree in intergovernmental relations.

All requests must be made in writing at least two weeks in advance of the event. Please include the name of the event, sponsoring organization and logistics of the event (date/time/location). Also, include RSVP deadline information, as well as the phone number of a contact person in case of further questions. The Mayor's Office will reply back to you by telephone or letter at their earliest convenience.

Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) is a municipal electric utility providing low-cost and reliable electric service to the Town of Braintree. You can contact BELD at 781-348-BELD (2353) and learn more at their website. The Water & Sewer department can be reached at 781-843-8097 or you can visit their web page.

Curbside collection day depends on what street you live on. Refer to the Town of Braintree Street Listing (PDF) to find out what day your trash will be collected. If you missed pickup - call Sunrise Scavenger directly at 617-361-8000.

The 2018 dog licensing period will run from April 1 until June 30. All renewal requests either in person, by mail or online, must be submitted by this time to avoid a late fee. The licenses will be valid from April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019. Beginning April 1, 2018, you can also register your dog online for the current licensing period. Use Braintree's Online Dog Licensing System to license or register your dog.

Beyond new construction or interior alterations or additions, a building permit is required for such projects including but not limited to roofing, siding, new or replacement windows and doors, decks, porches, pools, dormers, sheds, garages, walls, and changes in grade. A good rule to follow is that if you are unsure to contact the Building Division at 781-794-8070. View a digital

The Planning Staff is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to meet with anyone interested in discussing a potential project, the permitting process and / or the requirements for application submittal. It would be prudent to call and schedule an appointment to ensure staff will be in the office when you would like to come by.

There are two kinds of applications heard by the Planning Board: those necessitating publication of a legal notice and those which do not. If an application is submitted in a timely manner and does not require a Public Hearing, it may be placed on the Planning Board’s next agenda.

If an application must be heard by Public Hearing, it could be between 30 and 45 days from submission of application to being scheduled as an agenda item. Obviously, scheduling is dependent on current project load.

The Department charges a nominal fee for copying ($0.20 a page). A full size plan sheet is currently $5 per copy. If a request for documentation requires staff time to research and compile, the charge will be the hourly rate of the administrative staff based on the number of hours required.

The Planning Board has scheduled meetings for 2010 on the second Tuesday of each month (7:00 PM) in the Town Hall (Cahill Auditorium). View the Planning Board page for the schedule of meetings, which can be downloaded in PDF format, and the current agenda.

Town records and aerial photos can be examined to see approximately where property lines fall with respect to visible features. This will give a rough idea. If a definitive answer is needed a surveyor must be engaged by the resident. The Town does not survey private property. The information examined may be helpful in describing the potential survey site to the surveyor. The Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers website may be of some assistance in selecting a surveyor.

Fences are normally erected on or immediately adjacent to property lines. Since property lines are precisely defined and are most often invisible, it is essential that the location of property lines be identified by a Registered Professional Land Surveyor.

Calls to the Highway and Grounds Division and to the Planning/Community Development Department (which includes “Conservation”) are often referred to the Engineering Division for determination of “public” or “private.” Some instances can be determined in-office from records and the town-wide Geographical Information System, but some require field investigation. Response time depends on weather conditions and workload, but answers are normally delivered within a couple of days. If the tree is within Town property it cannot be removed without the approval of the tree warden. Healthy trees are generally not removed. Trees with unhealthy limbs will be prioritized by the tree warden for pruning. Dead trees will be prioritized by the tree warden for removal. If the tree is mostly or entirely on private property, its removal or trimming is not the Town’s responsibility.

The status of a “way” must be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but in most cases a way that was laid out as a street but never constructed (often referred to as a “paper street” because it shows up on plans but does not appear on the ground to be a street) is not even owned by the Town. Unless they were specifically laid out or accepted as public ways by Town Meeting (or more recently by the Mayor and Council) they were probably created years ago when an owner of a large tract of land divided the land up into lots and streets, then sold off the lots without ever retaining a specific deed to the streets. Many of the streets were constructed and became public ways or were left private ways open to public travel. To resolve the issue of ownership of undeeded private ways, the State Legislature passed laws that essentially say that an undeeded private way is owned to the centerline by the abutters but cannot be altered to prevent it’s use for roadway purposes. The laws pertain to the unconstructed ways as well. So the answer in many cases is that you already own to the center of the street, but you can’t do anything on the property that would prevent it from being used for roadway purposes. The way to eliminate those restrictions on the property is a long and expensive process through the Massachusetts Land Court where the court will require that others with rights to use the land for roadway purposes be identified and that the court be satisfied that they no longer need those rights.

Department makes available and delivers through local schools in May each Spring brochures explaining programming contact individuals and how to sign up for any activity available to Braintree families.

The department employs nearly 80 summer, seasonal employees with hiring preference given first to current college age applicants, then high school graduating seniors before high school underclassmen are considered. Applications are available a the office beginning April 1 each Spring.

Sign ups for youth sports programs are handled by each individual program and usually held months in advance of the program; i.e., for Babe Ruth baseball, sign ups are held in the Fall for the ensuing Spring. Call our office for further information at 781-794-8901 or view a listing of all town youth leagues websites on the Braintree Resources page.

Shredded Paper can no longer be put into your recycle cart. It must be placed in your trash cart. If you want to recycle Shredded Paper you can bring it to the residential drop-off center at 257 Ivory Street and give the bag to the attendant who will place it in the appropriate container. Shredded Paper cannot be recycled curbside.

Construction material can not be put into your trash or recycling carts and it is not accepted at the Residential drop-off center. Construction and bulky waste including pressure treated wood, may be brought to:

Usable building materials, kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, windows, doors, lighting, etc., may also be donated to the Boston Building Materials Resource Center in Roxbury (pickup available for a fee), or to Habitat for Humanity ReStores in West Roxbury, Plymouth and other Massachusetts locations. View the Boston Building Resources website or the Habitat for Humanity Restore website.

As an alternative to renting a dumpster, Waste Management sells "the Bagster" at most local hardware or home improvement stores, for more information view the Waste Management Bagster website. They hold 3 cubic yards of material. Call them for a pickup when it is full. $300 includes pickup.

TVs are not collected curbside and are not accepted at the Residential drop-off center. TVs are considered Hazardous Waste and can be disposed of at the Braintree semi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Day.

You may dispose of TVs at Best Buy, Clean Harbors, Willard's Disposal Service, and McConnell Enterprises. Some of these do charge a small disposal fee.

Whenever a scheduled collection day falls on a holiday, that day's collection and all remaining collections for the week will be delayed one day. Friday's collection will be on Saturday. Holidays falling on Saturday do not change the schedule. Holidays falling on a Sunday will result in a one day delay, as Sunday holidays are celebrated on Monday.

As long as you remain eligible for membership, you must contribute the required statutory amount. As an employee of the Commonwealth, you do not contribute to Social Security; therefore, you are required to contribute to this retirement fund.

This depends. When you complete your application for Braintree Retirement Membership, the form requires you to identify any prior Massachusetts public employment. If your funds remain on deposit with another political subdivision, those funds and creditable service shall transfer over to our system. If you have taken a refund, then you may be able to purchase this service time back. Please visit or call the office for more details.

Inquiries regarding retirement are confidential until you submit your Application for Retirement. This document is a public record, and after this is signed by you, this office notifies your employer that you have made application for retirement.

Your retirement allowance will last throughout your lifetime. Please bear in mind that the option you choose at the time of retirement will determine whether or not you leave a survivor benefit. All options will be discussed at length upon making an appointment with the Retirement Office.

This office recommends visiting the Social Security Office prior to Retirement if you also qualify to receive a Social Security benefit. You most likely will be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), and you will want to know how that will affect your Social Security Benefit. For more information on WEP visit the Social Security website.

Your pension allowance is a defined benefit based on three factors. Your age at the time of retirement, your years of creditable service, and your high three consecutive years’ salary. The Retirement office will calculate estimates for you upon request, and can explain the actual factors used in determining the benefit.

You should notify the Retirement Office of any change in status so that we can keep your data current, and in the event we have important news to share with you, we know how to reach you. This typically becomes an issue around tax time. We want to be sure that you receive your 1099.

Any person, whether individually or as a partnership, conducting business under any title other than the complete real name of the owner(s). Any corporation doing business in a name other than its corporate name.

Upon discontinuing, retiring or withdrawing from such business or in the case of a change or residence of such person or of the location where the business is conducted, a form must be filed with the office of the Town Clerk. A change of business name requires a new business certificate and the discontinuance of the old business name. A Business Certificate Amendment Form (PDF) can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s Office during normal business hours.

Business Certificate Application Form (PDF) is only required for any business when first applying for a business certificate. Multiple departments are required to sign off on the application before processing it at the Clerk's Office.

Business Certificate - Renewals/Notarized Form (PDF) is used for all business certificates renewals and when all owners are unable to sign the certificate in the presences of the Town Clerks Office, in which case all owners must have their signatures notarized. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, check or money order payable to the Town of Braintree along with the notarized business certificate. A registered copy of the Business Certificate will be returned to you.

Every record that is made or received by a government entity or employee is presumed to be a public record unless a specific statutory exemption permits or requires it to be withheld in whole or in part. Exemptions may be found at Chapter 4, Section 7(26) of the Massachusetts General Laws. For more information visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.

A public records request is a request to either inspect, and/or copy, public records. There is no requirement that the request be made in person or in writing, or be in any particular form. The person making the request is not required to identify himself/herself, or to provide information about the reason for the request or how the records will be used.

The request must be clear enough to enable the Town to conduct a meaningful search. The Town may ask questions about the request in order to respond to the request fully and in a timely manner. The State acknowledges that access to information is a fundamental and necessary right of every citizen.

For 2019, there are two scheduled elections. Tuesday, September 17 is the Local Preliminary Election* and Tuesday, November 5 is the Local Regular Election.

*BraintreeCharter - Section 7-3(c ): ConditionMaking Preliminary Election Unnecessary – If at the expiration of time forfiling statements of mayoral candidates to be voted upon at any preliminaryelection, not more than 2 statements have been filed with the town clerk forthe office of mayor, the candidates whose statements have been filed with thetown clerk shall be considered to have been nominated to the office, and theirnames shall be voted upon for this office at the succeeding regular townelection.

The last day to register to vote for 2019 Local Preliminary Election* is Wednesday, August 28 from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and for the 2019 Local Regular Election is Wednesday October 16 from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

*Braintree Charter - Section 7-3(c ): ConditionMaking Preliminary Election Unnecessary – If at the expiration of time forfiling statements of mayoral candidates to be voted upon at any preliminaryelection, not more than 2 statements have been filed with the town clerk forthe office of mayor, the candidates whose statements have been filed with thetown clerk shall be considered to have been nominated to the office, and theirnames shall be voted upon for this office at the succeeding regular townelection.

The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot for the Local Preliminary Election* is Monday, September 16, 2019 at noon and for the Local Regular Election, Monday, November 4, 2019 at Noon.

*BraintreeCharter - Section 7-3(c ): ConditionMaking Preliminary Election Unnecessary – If at the expiration of time forfiling statements of mayoral candidates to be voted upon at any preliminaryelection, not more than 2 statements have been filed with the town clerk forthe office of mayor, the candidates whose statements have been filed with thetown clerk shall be considered to have been nominated to the office, and theirnames shall be voted upon for this office at the succeeding regular townelection.

Nomination papers can be obtained at the Office of the Town Clerk during normal business hours following the dates noted below

NOMINATION PROCESS

Preliminary Election

September 17, 2019*

Regular Election

November 5, 2019

First day to obtain nomination papers for local election

Monday,

June 10

Monday,

July 29

Last day to obtain nomination papers for local election. MGL c 53 s-9A

Friday,

July 26

Until 5:00pm

Friday,

September 13

Until 5:00pm

Last day to submit nomination papers to the Board of Registrars for certification. MGL c 53 s-7

Tuesday,

July 30

Until 5:00pm

Tuesday,

September 17

Until 5:00pm

Last day to file nomination papers with Town Clerk*

MGL c 53 s-10

Tuesday,

August 13

Until 5:00pm

Tuesday,

October 1

Until 5:00pm

Deadline for posting list of Candidates

Wednesday,

August 14

Wednesday, October 2

Last day to object to nomination papers or to withdraw MGL c 53, s-11, c 55B s-7

Thursday,

August 15

Until 5:00pm

Thursday,

October 3

Until 5:00pm

Drawing for Position on Ballot

Thursday,

August 15

At 5:15pm

Thursday,

October 3

At 5:15pm

Last day to register to vote in local election

MGL c 53, ss26, 28

Wednesday,

August 28

Until 8:00pm

Wednesday,

October 16

Until 8:00pm

ELECTION DAY

Tuesday,

September 17

7:00am – 8:00pm

Tuesday, November 5

7:00am – 8:00pm

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REQUIREMENTS**

Preliminary Election

September 17, 2019*

Regular Election

November 5, 2019

Deadline to file “8th day preceding election”

Monday,

September 9, 2019

Monday,

October 28, 2019

Deadline to file “30-days following election”

Thursday,

October 17, 2019

Thursday,

December 5, 2019

Deadline to file “End of Year” Finance Report

Monday,

January 20, 2020

Monday,

January 20, 2020

*Braintree Charter - Section 7-3(c ): Condition Making Preliminary Election Unnecessary – If at the expiration of time for filing statements of mayoral candidates to be voted upon at any preliminary election, not more than 2 statements have been filed with the town clerk for the office of mayor, the candidates whose statements have been filed with the town clerk shall be considered to have been nominated to the office, and their names shall be voted upon for this office at the succeeding regular town election.

**All candidates running for office during 2019 are requiredto file 8-day and 30-day campaign finance reports.All campaign committees, regardless if they didnot run for office during 2019, are required to file “End of Year” campaignfinance reports.